THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IN THE FOUR GOSPELS

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

December 4, 2018

In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul wrote concerning Christ: This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Christ Jesus came into the world in the Four Gospels. The Four Gospels describe Christ’s entrance into the world. This verse tells us why he came into the world. It says he came into the world to save sinners. How did Paul know this? Because Christ said it over and over again in the Four Gospels.

In Luke 19:10 he said; For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.

In Luke 5:32 he said; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance.

In John 3:17 its says; For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Paul was aware of what Christ said and that is why he said he came into the world to save sinners. Jesus not only said he came into the world to save sinners, but he told us how he would save them in the Four Gospels.

In Matthew 20:28 Jesus said: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Paul quotes this verse almost verbatim in 1 Timothy 2:5 which says: Christ gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. The word ransom literally means a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken captive by the enemy the money demanded for their release is called a ransom. It’s the price paid to set them free. Anything that releases anyone from a state of punishment, suffering or sin is called a ransom. We all need a ransom because we are all by nature captives to sin. We are sold under sin, under the condemnation of sin, and under the curse of sin. And unless we find a ransom to deliver us we will perish in hell. But, we have found a ransom. And where do we find this ransom? In the Four Gospels. Matthew declares that Christ gave himself a ransom for all men. That is, he died in the place of sinners and God was willing to accept the pains of his death on the cross in the place of the everlasting suffering that all sinners deserve in hell. The one and only ransom for sinners is found in Matthew 20:28.

John 3:14-15 says: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Compare this with John 12:32-33 which says: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.

As Moses lifted up a serpent on a pole in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ was lifted up on a cross in the New Testament. The serpent was lifted up to save the people from death. Christ was lifted up on the cross to save us from death, the second death which is the lake of fire. In the Four Gospels. In the Four Gospels we find Christ being lifted up on the cross to die for our sins to save us from death and hell. That’s the gospel of John 3:16.

In John 6:49-51 Jesus said: I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. As God gave the Israelites manna from heaven to live, Christ gave his flesh and life on the cross that we might live forever. It cost him his body and flesh to give us life, eternal life. Where do we learn this? In the Four Gospels.

In John 10 Jesus said:

Verses 10-11 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Verse 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Verses 17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

For the sheep to have life and have it more abundantly the shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. His death was not by accident, but by design. No man took it from him. He planned to lay it down to save the sheep from sin and hell. He loved the sheep so much that he was willing to take upon himself their sins and suffer the wrath they deserve. This was planned before the foundation of the world according to 1 Peter 1:18-19.

In Matthew 26:26-29 Jesus said: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. The New Covenant has many promises. It took Paul 13 chapters in Hebrews to describe them all. The greatest promise of the New Covenant was a new and better sacrifice that would be offered once and take away sins forever and we learn of that promise in the Four Gospels. Jesus Christ is the one all sufficient sacrifice of the New Covenant. His blood is the blood of the New Testament.

In the Four Gospels we can clearly see Christ dying for sinners. We see him shedding his blood for the remission of sin. We see him laying down his life for the sheep. We see him giving up his flesh and body on the cross that we might have life, eternal life. We see him lifted up on the cross to save us from the curse of sin. We see Christ the sacrifice preaching about his own death and shed blood for our sins in the Four Gospels.